The Conflict
by neverendingtale
Summary: The Universe's greatest conflict is coming up. The Senshi must prepare and in the process discover things they never thought they would.


The Conflict  
  
By Neverendingtale  
  
Prologue:  
  
It was a beautiful day in Tokyo, the sun shined brightly and there wasn't a cloud in sight. It was not too hot, just the perfect weather to go outside and enjoy the day. So Minako had a wild impulse to call up everyone and ask them all to go to Juuban park to have a picnic and one way or the other she got us all to go, even Setsuna.  
  
It had been a long time since we were all together like this. Since the battle with Galaxia everything seem to settle down, no new evils arose and all the Senshi got to actually focus on their life. Slowly with time they all started to drift apart, slowly at first but faster as time went by, but one thing remained constant.  
  
Usagi was the one constant in all our lives. She made sure to keep in track of everyone and did it. She made the time for all us, and somehow we always did the same for her. It was as if we all needed to be sure she was fine and how she felt. We even time for days like this when we would get all together just for her. Our bonds with her grew until they were unbreakable.  
  
Hotaru sighed and laid down on the grass. Even in a day like this she couldn't help but be melancholy. When she came this morning she was determined to have a good time, but no matter what she tried it wouldn't happen. Usagi seemed to understand though. She took one look at me when Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and I arrived and smiled softly at me. It was as if she knew what was wrong with me.  
  
It was as if she felt all the changes occurring. How the sun and moon both shone brighter. How the stars seemed to be alive with life, waiting and preparing for something that was coming. How the Earth seemed to suddenly teem with life, or even felt the call of the planets.  
  
Of course she didn't, consciously anyways. For Usagi it was an unconscious thing, but how could she not being who she is, who she is becoming. But I felt it, saw it, heard it. I also knew what this meant, what it entail and what was going to occur.  
  
A power older than time itself was appearing, the power of my master and it was affecting everything. The greatest conflict the Universe will ever face was coming, and he was preparing for it, and not just him. Usagi herself was getting ready, without her knowledge her power was growing, she herself didn't notice the change let alone anyone else but I saw, because I was meant to see and the knowledge pained me. Her power nonetheless was affecting her appearance. Her hair was getting longer and changing to a shade of luscious silver almost the same as that of the moon. Her eyes were becoming like living sapphires and clear as diamond. When she looked at you it was if as she looking at your soul and softly caressing it, helping it grow, and everyone and everything around her felt it.  
  
'Hotaru,' a voice said, 'Everything will be okay, my darling Hotaru."  
  
That voice! It couldn't be. Could it? 'Master? Is that you?'  
  
'Of course. Who else could it be?' He responded in and amused tone. The weight of his mind, of his power, laid heavily on my mind. 'There hasn't been anyone able to speak telepathically in centuries let alone breach the walls of your mind, my dear Guardian.' The feeling his mind gave off suddenly turned serious. 'The time is approaching. Do you know what it means?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'Are you prepared to do what you are required?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'Will you follow me?'  
  
'To the ends of eternity.'  
  
'My darling Hotaru, no harm will come to you I promise. I will protect you all,' he responded with a tenderness unimaginable, and I felt safe for he never ever broke his promises, no matter what the cost.  
  
'When are you coming?' I asked with a touch of concern, not for myself but for the Senshi.  
  
'In a couple of minutes. They must be made prepare, and soon. There is no time to be subtle. I do not want you to intervene.'  
  
His tone left no room for argument. I could not help my fellow Senshi, I could not even warn them.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Standing at the edge of all existence stood a figure. He stood between two states of existence and seemed to be part of both. He stood there forever vigilant, watching and maintaining a shield of pure power. His efforts were felt and seen, but it seem not to affect him in anyway, it looked like it was something insignificant to him. He was a guardian, but in fact was much more.  
  
It had been along time since this particular being took a physical form. Most of the time he was part of the shield of pure power that protected our Universe, our existence from and outside evil. He seemed to be in deep concentration, assessing, judging something that nobody but he could discern.  
  
After a while he snapped out of the trance. "This would not do," he said suddenly in a voice that could not be describe. It was beyond human comprehension, it conveyed such feeling, such power.  
  
"The final conflict is coming, I must prepare." And with that said he suddenly spread wings that suddenly appeared on his back and flew back into our Universe to prepare.  
  
And with his leaving the shield that protected our existence disappeared. 


End file.
